Litchfield girls claim 1A sectional track title

STAUNTON -- Auburn High School freshman Ellie Canaday thinks she's starting to put things together at the right time.

Jackie Eck and her Lutheran teammates hope the best is yet to come for a 4 x 800-meter relay that started the season with high expectations. Eck also has something to look forward to individually.

Hillsboro sophomore Kyra Huber is getting used to being a four-event state qualifier.

And the girls from New Berlin would have made their recently-lost friend proud.

Those storylines, along with an impressive night for team champion Litchfield, unfolded Thursday night at the Class 1A Staunton Girls Sectional track and field meet.

Top-two finishers, along with others meeting state standards, earned trips to the state meet starting next Thursday in Charleston.

Litchfield led the way by qualifying three relays and five individual entries for state as the Purple Panthers totaled 86 points for their first sectional title since 2009. New Berlin was second with 69, and Hillsboro was third with 55.

One of the night's best finishes came at the very end, when New Berlin's Kennedy Schurman outleaned Litchfield's Ellie Niemann to give the Pretzels the win in the 4 x 400 relay.

New Berlin senior Alyssa Vignos also was on the relay along with Ali Bergee and Megan Godart. Vignos said it was hard not to think about Madeline Finch, a New Berlin junior who died in an auto accident on Sunday.

Vignos said she received an extra reminder just before she won the 100 high hurdles.

"We were about to run, and I heard one of the girls yell, 'Fly high, Maddie,' or 'Do it for Maddie," Vignos said. "I heard that. It was touching. It shows how big of a community we have."

New Berlin coach Amie Paoletti said the 4 x 400 finish was uplifting after an emotional week for the school and community.

"The way we finished was awesome; I'm sure there was some motivation," Paoletti said. "I know Megan (Godart) wrote something for Maddie on her shoes.

"You can tell there was a different feel to this week and this meet. It's a little more somber. But this is how I hoped we would finish, even though I didn't think it would be this exciting."

"I was more surprised with the discus," Canaday said. "So far, my best throw had been 113. I've been close in shot put, with practice throws. But sometimes in meets in just strangle myself.

"But going into today, I had more of an open mind. I've been practicing harder, and I feel a lot better about my technique."

Huber, a Hillsboro sophomore, won the 100 and 200 Thursday while also leading off the Hiltoppers' second-place (state qualifying) 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 relays. She also reached state in two individual and two relay events last year.

But she said last year's freshman nerves are a distant memory.

"Today didn't really feel like a sectional meet; I wasn't really nervous about it," Huber said. "Last year, during the day, I was super nervous. Today it felt like I was just getting ready for another meet."

Lutheran, which finished second at state in the 4 x 800 last year, won it Thursday in 10:17.99. But coach Denise Hennig said the foursome of Jackie Eck, Maddy Eck, Brigid Tournoux and Bernadette Tournoux are still trying to hit their peak after injuries disrupted the relay earlier this season.

"It's still going to be a challenge (at state) because there are a lot of great 4 x 8 relays this year," Hennig said. "This is a new year and a new season.

"They haven't had that many chances, these four, to run together this year. Last year we didn't really have an expectation. This year, it's more in their heads to do that."

Jackie Eck also come through to win the 1,600 Thursday, holding off Litchfield senior Alexis Throne with a first-place, season-best time of 5:27.57. Eck and Throne will run for

Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals next year, Eck at Lewis University and Throne at the University of Illinois Springfield.

"I got the lead with about 200 left," Eck said of the 1,600. "Then (Throne) started coming on again. We ran against her at Rochester earlier this year.

"I'm still excited about the 4 x 8. I think we've got our best races left. But I want to do really well in the mile, too."

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